Stihl President, CEO Chris Keffer leaves the company

Chris Keffer, the president and CEO at Stihl, has departed the company, effective immediately.

Lorraine Amesbury Holder, senior vice president of operations, and Uwe Hirsch, senior vice president of finance, IT, purchasing and quality, will assume responsibility for overseeing the president’s duties.

Terry Horan will continue serving as the chairman and sole director of the Stihl Board of Directors.

Keffer joined Stihl in 2022 as the senior vice president of sales and marketing. In August of 2023, he was appointed president and CEO.

“We thank Chris for his leadership and many contributions during his four years with Stihl. His efforts helped move several key initiatives forward, and we wish him every success in his next chapter,” says Michael Traub, chairman of the Stihl Executive Board.  “Stihl remains firmly committed to the U.S. market, where we proudly employ more than 2,300 people and support over 10,000 independent Stihl dealers across the country. As we move forward in our search for new leadership, our dedication to U.S. production, dealer support, and serving customers nationwide will remain unwavering.”